Absorption Towers can be found in many industrial processes and often involve the circulation of expensive solvents. Dehydration units are common when processing natural gas, which is typically saturated with water when produced from the ground. An absorption tower with glycol solvent flowing against the water-laden gas is used to remove H2O. Similarly, acid gas removal units are employed to remove residual CO2 and H2S in gas streams. The removal step is accomplished in an absorption tower where amine solvent is run counter-current to the gas, absorbing the undesired molecules.
These towers typically include FLEXIPAC® HC structured packing or INTALOX® ULTRA random packing with associated distributors and other internals. These advanced packing types allow for reduced vessel diameters when compared with designs based on older-generation packings. With high-value solvents, the application of a high-efficiency co-knit DEMISTER® mist eliminator has consistently demonstrated reductions in solvent losses to between 0.05 and 0.10 gal/MMSCF.